Valve for player-pianos and the like.



J. GIULIANA.

VALVE FOR PLAYER PIANOS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25. 1916.

1,208,138. Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

- \mwwuu w/r/vms INVENTOR JOSEPH GIULIANA,

OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

VALVE FOR PLAYER-PIANOS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed January 25, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I. JOSEPH GIULIANA, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Valves for Player-Pianos and the like, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The objects of this invention are to provide a valve for player pianoswhich will hold its adjustment; to positively prevent the valve disksfrom slipping longitudinally of the stem; to accommodate variations inthe thickness of valve disks employed, to permit adjusting the disksreadily upon the stem; to secure simplicity of construction andoperation and to obtain other advantages and results as may be broughtout in the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals ofreference indicate the same parts throughout the several views, Figure lis a central section through the valve mechanism of a player pianoshowing my improved valve therein, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged view ofsaid valve shown in Fig. 1, partly in section.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in said drawingsthe reference numeral 1 indicates a valve inclosure suitably hollowedout to provide a plurality of chambers 2, 3, 1 as is usual and wellknown in the art. The middle chamber 3 is in communication with asuitable suction pump (not shown), as by tube 5, and is separated fromone end chamber 2 by a flexible diaphragm G. A tube 7 connects thischamber 2 with the tracker bar (not shown) in any customary or preferredmanner, there being also a bleed or vent hole 8 between these twochambers. A centrally apertured head 9 divides the opposite end chamber41 from the middle chamber 3, and opposite the aperture in said head isa similar aperture 10 in the end wall 11 of the valve inclosure 1opening to the atmosphere. A valve stem 12 extends through this endchamber 4. with its one end 13 projecting outside of the valve inclosurethrough the aperture 10 and its other end 14; projecting into the middlechamber 3 and secured in any suitable manner to the diaphragm 6.Preferably a guiding bridge 15 is provided at the inner end of thechamber 4 for the end of the stem to slide through, and theSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

Serial No. 74,084.

other end 13 of the stem is similarly guided by afinger 16 carried bythe valve inclosure. The middle part 17 of the stem or part between theends 13, 14 is slightly greater in diameter than the diameter of one orboth of said ends, and is screw threaded. Obviously the length of thisenlarged and threaded portion must be enough shorter than the distancebetween the guiding bridge and finger so as not to interfere with thenecessary reciprocation of the stem.

Upon the threaded portion of the stem are screwed a pair of sleeves 18,18 each having an outwardly projecting shoulder. 19 preferably at theend of the sleeve toward the other sleeve. Suitable valve disks 20 aremounted upon the sleeves seating laterally against the shoulders 19which prevent said disks from becoming displaced past the same.Preferably, the sleeves are screw threaded on their outside orexteriorly as well as interiorly, as shown, and upon the exteriorthreads are screwed clamping rings or nuts 21. Obviously, the disk ordisks carried by each sleeve may be clamped securely between theshoulder 19 and nut 21, but preferably the nut is left loose enough soas to permit a slight movement of the valve disk which may thereforeseat freely. It may be noted in this connection that should the disks beof less thickness than shown, or even of somewhat greater thickness, thesame may be properly held by the nut 21, and, where a plurality ofthicknesses are employed to make up one of the disks, they cannot becomeseparated in use or during adjustment, but remain intact and as a unit.

Inoperation, it will be understood that the valve disks are adjustedupon the stem so as to allow a certain longitudinal movement of thestem. As shown in Fig. 1 the stem is slid so as to move the valve awayfrom the end wall of the chamber at and admit air from the atmosphere tothe chamber and thence to a pouch or bellows 22 allowing the bellows todistend. As atmospheric pressure is admitted from the tracker bar to theopposite end chamber 2, the diaphragm bulges toward the central chamberin which there is less pressure and slides the stem outwardly thusoperating to close the aperture 10 and open the aperture connectingchamber 4 with the middle chamber 3. Thereupon the air is exhaustedpartially from said chamber and bellows which closes,

and so on. Obviously the valve will move back or forward quickly andwith considerable force, but by the construction of parts as shown, thevalve disks cannot slide under the constant knocking, are loose enoughto seat properly, and are at the same time readily adjusted.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is,

1. A valve for player pianos and the like comprising a stem having athreaded portion, a sleeve screw threaded interiorly adapted to bescrewed on said threaded portion of the stem, and means for holding avalve disk on said sleeve whereby the disk is prevented from slipping onsaid stem but may be adjusted with respect thereto.

2. A valve for player pianos and the like comprising a stem having athreaded portion, a sleeve threaded interiorly and exteriorly adapted tobe screwed on said threaded portion of the stem, said sleeve having ashoulder, and a nut adapted to be screwed upon the sleeve and hold avalve disk thereon between said nut and shoulder.

3. A valve for player pianos and the like comprising a stem having endportions adapted to be slidably guided and having a middle threadedportion a sleeve threaded interiorly and eXteriorly adapted to bescrewed on said threaded portion of the stem, said sleeve having ashoulder, and a nut adapted to be screwed upon the sleeve and hold avalve disk thereon between said nut and shoulder.

4. A valve for player pianos and the like comprising a stem having athreaded portion, a pair of sleeves threaded to screw onto said stem,said sleeves being exteriorly threaded and having shoulders at theiradjacent ends, valve disks on said sleeves seating laterally againstsaid shoulders, and nuts screwed onto said sleeves for retaining thedisks thereon.

JOSEPH GIULIANA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D C.

